Starting A project and i need help trying to calculate how big to make the scenery

Ok I like the idea of cutting one side of the street out, I think that would be easier to build. As for the story, I was actually going to have a mini battle scene going on, I could not really show this in Google sketch up because I used pre existing models and I am still trying to learn the software. Well I am going to start on the buildings now.... Thank you guys for your help

An urban scene like that is gonna be a bear... Plus, as was pointed out, there's no story there, ie: the tank's not "doing it's thing" (which is to blow stuff up and break things), nor is the Infantry doing anything special...

A better scene would entail fewer buildings and more action, perhaps the fire team reacting to a sniper, dragging a casualty out of the kill zone and the tank engaging the sniper's suspected position with the .50 cal...  That many buildings just detracts from the scene and makes the diorama about them with the tank and Infantry only a supporting factor.  That's when you run into size problems... I'd cut the buildings down to two (Three, max) and have them only on the "rear" of the dio...

 

 

If the roof tops are not part of the dio, you can simply have a facade either side of the street. That way you focus the viewers attention down the street, and as a street is a long line your eye goes right along it.

Its a lot of work making an urban scene as most of what you need has to be scratch built. It is an ambitious project, think about it before you start. After you have done the first building, soo if you want to do all that again five more times.

 Good luck with it and please post pics as you go.

I'd remove one whole side of the street and all but one facade behind the tank. Also, as a dio, there seems to be very little story going on here. What is it you're trying to tell?

If that is a modern tank M1 Abrams or something similar and you want to keep everything you have in the scene it will have to be about 4ft. long by 3ft. wide I think. That is if you want 6 buildings like you have pictured. It would be a pretty ambitious project for a first diorama. Good luck!

If you need me to clarify on something please ask.